Category: Fr. Jom Baring, CSsR

March 1, 2026 – Second Sunday of Lent

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030126.cfm)

Life, indeed, is a journey. Every day we move from one place to another. From home to work, school to home, one responsibility to the next. Even traffic reminds us of this. When the road is moving, even slowly, we feel okay. But when everything stops for a long time, we become impatient and uncomfortable.

The same is true with life. When life feels stagnant—walay kausaban, walay direksyon—we feel tired, empty, even discouraged. Deep in our hearts, we know that life is meant to move forward. It asks us to take risks, to try new ways, to enter new relationships, new perspectives, and new possibilities, even when the future is uncertain.

This is what our readings today are telling us on this Second Sunday of Lent that “faith is a journey.” And transformation happens when we move forward with God.

Now, let us discern the invitations from our readings this Sunday.

In the first reading from the Book Genesis, we heard the call of Abram. God told him, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to a land that I will show you.” Imagine that. Abram was asked to leave everything familiar. This included his home, his security, his comfort and to go to a place he did not know.

It was a journey full of uncertainty. Yet, God gave him a promise: “I will bless you… and you will be a blessing.” And so Abram went as the Lord directed him.

This is important. Abram did not have all the answers. He only had trust. Because of that trust, he grew in faith. His journey formed him. And in the end, his life became a blessing to many.

Many Filipino families know this journey very well. Parents working far from home. OFWs leaving the country. Students studying in unfamiliar places. Families adjusting to new realities after illness, loss, or financial struggle. Life asks us to move forward even when we are unsure.

From Abram’s story we are reminded that when we walk with God, uncertainty does not mean we are lost. It may be the very path where we grow.

This moves us to the second reading. Paul reminded Timothy that life’s journey and of our faith in Jesus is toward a holy life. Paul said that God has saved us and called us not because of our strength, but because of His grace.

Indeed, there are moments when fear and anxiety come. We doubt ourselves. We feel weak. But St. Paul reminds us not rely only on our own strength. Remember, God gives the grace needed for the journey. And our transformation is not our work alone. It is God working within us.

Then the Gospel shows us another important moment in the journey of faith. This is the Transfiguration. Jesus brought Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. Like Abram, they did not know what would happen. But because they trusted Jesus, they followed.

On the mountain, Jesus was transfigured. His appearance changed, revealing His glory. Moses and Elijah appeared, representing the Law and the Prophets. This tells us that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise. In Him, we find the fullness of life, healing, and freedom.

For the disciples, this was a beautiful moment. So beautiful that Peter said, “Lord, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents.” He wanted to stay there.

And this is something we understand. When life feels peaceful, when prayer is moving, when things are going well, we want to stay in that moment. But faith is not meant to stay on the mountain.

Sometimes we also become spiritually stagnant. We are content with routine devotion but avoid deeper conversion. We attend Mass but do not forgive. We pray but do not change our habits. We keep our faith comfortable but do not allow it to challenge our lives.

That is why the voice of the Father was heard: “This is my beloved Son… listen to Him.” Not just admire Him. Not just feel good about Him. But to “Listen and follow.”

Then something very touching happened. The disciples were afraid, but the Gospel says, “Jesus came and touched them.” This is our comfort. When we are afraid of change, afraid of the future, afraid of the sacrifices Lent asks from us, the Lord comes close. He does not push us harshly. He strengthens us gently.

After that, they came down the mountain. Because the journey continues. The experience of God’s presence is not for escape. It is meant to transform how we live in our homes, workplaces, schools, and communities.

From all of these, there are three invitations for us today.

First, make Lent a journey of real transformation, not just yearly ritual. Seek the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Practice fasting and abstinence with purpose. Ask yourself, “What part of my life needs to move forward?”

Second, be more attentive to God’s presence. He is present in this Eucharist, but also in ordinary moments, in our family conversations, daily work, and silent struggles. Give time for silence and personal prayer so that you become more familiar with His voice.

Third, listen to Jesus. Read the Gospel. Reflect on His words. If possible, attend recollections or retreats. Let His teachings guide your decisions, your attitudes, and your relationships.

Lent reminds us that faith is not about staying where we are. It is about becoming who God is calling us to be. And as we continue this journey, may our lives also become a blessing to others. Because when we allow God to transform us, we ourselves become His gift to our families, and to everyone we meet. Hinaut pa.

February 22, 2026 – First Sunday of Lent

Click here for the readings (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/022226.cfm)

Sometimes the biggest Lenten sacrifice for many Filipinos is not giving up meat on Fridays… but giving up the use of our smartphones. We say, “Five minutes lang,” then one episode becomes three, one scroll becomes one hour, one game becomes twenty, and suddenly it’s past midnight and our prayer time is gone.

Temptation doesn’t always come as something obviously bad. Most of the time, it comes quietly, gently, and very attractively. This means that temptation is part of everyone’s life. Students are tempted to choose entertainment over responsibility. Workers may be tempted to be dishonest when needs at home are heavy. Families are tempted to avoid difficult conversations and just keep the peace on the surface. Some are tempted to look for love and attention outside their marriage. Others are tempted to escape their problems through alcohol, addiction, or even by giving up hope.

Thus, temptation is real. And Lent is not about pretending we are strong. It is about learning where our heart is weak and letting God strengthen it. And so let us explore our readings and discern God’s invitations for us on this First Sunday of Lent.

In the first reading from the Book of Genesis, the story of Adam and Eve shows us how temptation works. The serpent did not force them. It simply started a conversation. And the more they entertained the voice, the more attractive the forbidden fruit became. What was once clearly wrong slowly began to look “good, pleasing, and desirable.”

That is how temptation grows when we keep entertaining what we already know is not good for our soul.

Their sin was not simply eating the fruit. The deeper temptation was this: to live life without God, to decide on their own what is good and evil. And the result was not freedom but fear, shame, and separation from the very grace of God.

Saint Paul tells us in the second reading that sin entered the world through one man. But the good news is this, “grace comes through one man also—Jesus Christ.” Where sin increased, grace increased even more.

That brings us to the Gospel. After His baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert. He fasted, prayed, and faced temptation not when He was strong, but when He was hungry, tired, and alone. Let us take the temptations of Satan to Jesus, one by one.

The first temptation was to turn stones into bread. This was not just about food. It was the temptation to use power for self-gratification. It was to satisfy personal needs first.

We ask ourselves, “How many of our decisions today are guided by comfort? Are they driven by “Kung saan ako masaya” at “Kung saan madali?”

However, Jesus teaches us that “life is not only about satisfying ourselves. True life is about doing the Father’s will.”

The second temptation is to throw yourself down and let God save you.
This was the temptation to test God. It was to demand certainty, security, and proof.
Many of us struggle with this. When life becomes uncertain, we panic. We want guarantees. We want control. But Jesus shows us that real faith is trust even when the future is unclear.

The third temptation of Satan to Jesus was “All the kingdoms of the world I will give you. This was power, wealth and success without sacrifice.

This is very familiar today. We live in a culture that tells us success is everything. Titles, followers, influence, possessions. But Jesus reminds us: Anything we put before God becomes an idol even if it is good in itself.

Notice this: the devil did not offer evil things. Bread is good. Security is good. Success is good. But when these things become more important than God, they begin to control us. They fill us with anxiety, fear of losing, and the need to have more.

That is the real danger of temptation because it slowly replaces God at the center of our life.

And if we look at our society today, we see this struggle everywhere. The pressure to earn more even at the expense of family. The obsession with image and approval. The fear of missing out. The desire to stay comfortable and avoid sacrifice. The silence in families because no one wants to confront the truth.

With all of these, lent is God’s invitation to return, to simplify, to detach, and to remember who truly gives life.

Remember, Jesus did not defeat temptation by His strength alone. He defeated it because He was rooted in prayer, in the Word, and in his trust in the Father.

That is also our path. This Lent, we are not only asked to give up something. We are asked to choose something deeper: to choose God over comfort, trust over control, and service over self.

And so now, I leave with you three takeaways.

First, guard your conversations. Do not entertain thoughts, habits, or influences that slowly lead you away from God.

Second, choose sacrifice over comfort. Every small act of discipline like prayer, fasting, honesty, forgiveness strengthens your heart.

Third, put God first every day. Before decisions, before worries, before plans pause and ask: “Lord, what is Your will?”

Hence, temptation will always be part of life, but, so is grace. Though Adam fell in a garden. Jesus stood firm in the desert. And this Lent, the Lord walks with us in our own deserts not to condemn us, but to strengthen us. Hinaut pa.